Yoga Nidra for sleep.
Start by lying down,
Becoming still and bringing your mind back to your body and this present moment.
Rest dropping all thoughts and listening.
Rest assured,
Knowing that you will now fall asleep.
Enjoying this opportunity to simply repose into yourself.
Resting in that innermost place,
Deep within the very core of your being.
Where you love to go.
Where you are free to dream and be yourself.
Where you are free to just totally relax.
Allowing yourself to drift down deeper and deeper.
Feeling so good,
Feeling so drowsy.
Just drifting down into total relaxation.
Because you know that giving yourself this time to really rest now is the best thing that you can do for yourself.
And as you continue drifting down into this calm and peaceful feeling,
You know that you can feel safe and secure to be most comfortable.
And as you listen to the sound of my voice,
You continue to become calm and relaxed.
Now becoming aware of the most tiny and subtle movements of your body.
The gentle beating of your heart.
And a steady rhythm of each breath.
Breathing slowly and gently.
Easy and evenly.
Now just completely drop all your cares and concerns for the world.
Drop all thoughts and allow your attention to focus only on your body.
The more you bring your mind home to your body,
The more you can really relax.
Feeling increasingly more comfortable and calm.
If you begin to notice your mind wandering,
Bring it back to your body.
Back to this voice.
In the practice of yoga nidra,
The only thing you need to do is listen and feel.
Now take a deep breath in all the way to your abdomen.
Hold for a few seconds.
And exhale slowly and gently.
Again,
Notice your stomach rising and your lungs filling with air as you breathe in.
As you exhale,
See all tension in your body being released and flowing out and away from your body.
Again,
Inhale deep into the abdomen.
And exhale.
Just releasing,
Dropping,
And letting go.
That's it.
Really enjoying such a pleasurable feeling of deep relaxation,
Allowing the breath to flow smoothly and spontaneously.
As you go through each step,
Remember to keep breathing.
Now let's begin.
Begin by tightening the muscles in your forehead by gently raising your eyebrows.
Breathe in,
Hold,
And exhale.
Release,
Feeling total relaxation spread all throughout your forehead.
Now smile wide.
Breathe in,
Hold,
And exhale.
Release,
Experiencing the softness of your face.
Next,
Tighten your eyes by squinting your eyelids tightly shut.
Breathe in,
Hold,
And exhale.
Release.
As your eyes float in a pool of healing nectar.
Now tilt your chin forward and up,
Stretching your neck.
Inhale and release,
Feeling relaxation spread all throughout your neck and head.
Feel the weight of your head and neck sinking down into the surface beneath you.
Really still and relaxed.
Breathing in and out.
Just releasing and letting go.
Bringing the mind back into the body where you can relax and begin to rest.
Just sinking down into yourself.
Now become aware of your hands.
Make a fist and gently clench while breathing in.
Exhale and release.
And flex the large muscles in your upper arms.
Breathe in,
Flex.
Exhale,
Release.
Tense and raise both shoulders towards your ears.
Exhale,
Release.
Tense the upper back by pulling both shoulder blades towards each other.
And release.
Feeling a soothing wave of total relaxation flowing to your back and shoulders.
Tense the chest by taking a deep breath in and flexing the pectoral muscles.
And exhale,
Release.
Now tighten the muscles of your abdomen by sucking your belly in.
Exhale,
Totally releasing all the muscles of respiration.
Gently arch your lower back,
Slightly pushing the belly up into the air.
Tense and release.
Inhale tightening your buttocks.
And exhale,
Release.
Tighten your thighs by pressing your knees together.
Inhale hold.
And exhale,
Release.
Flex your feet by pulling your toes up towards you.
Feeling the tension in your calves with the inhalation.
Exhale down.
Now curl your toes under your feet.
Inhale tense.
And exhale,
Release.
Allow yourself this time to experience this soothing wave of relaxation spreading all throughout your body.
The perfect piece of physical comfort and relaxation.
See yourself as a single ocean wave rolling on and on endlessly.
A single rolling ocean wave rolling on and on across the infinite surface of the eternal sea.
Dissolve all thoughts and bring your awareness back to your body.
Feel the bliss flowing within the breath.
Emerging in the cavity of your chest with each inhalation.
The self-born bliss of the breath.
Peacefully breathing in and out.
In and out.
Experience the calm and soothing state of your body.
The peace within the stillness.
Within the stillness of your body is great inner peace.
Your thoughts are absorbed back into their source within the depths of consciousness.
Now relaxing even deeper.
As you rotate your awareness around the various parts of your body,
You continue to sink down into deeper and even deeper states of relaxation.
Starting with your right hand.
Feel a wave of relaxation flowing from your right hand thumb to your second finger.
Third.
Fourth.
And fifth finger.
The palm of your hand.
Back of the hand.
The right wrist.
Lower arm.
Low.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Waist.
Right hip.
Thigh.
Back of the thigh.
Knee.
Back of the knee.
Right shin.
Have muscle.
Heel.
Ankle.
Sol of the right foot.
Top of the foot.
Right big toe.
Second toe.
Third.
Fourth.
And fifth toe.
The whole right side of the body.
Now your left hand.
Feel this pleasant wave of relaxation spreading from your left hand thumb to your second finger.
Third.
Fourth.
And fifth finger.
Palm of your hand.
Back of the hand.
The left wrist.
Lower arm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Shoulder.
Waist.
The left hip.
Thigh.
Back of the thigh.
Left knee.
Back of the knee.
The left shin.
Have muscle.
Heel.
Ankle.
Sol of the foot.
Top of the foot.
Left big toe.
Second toe.
Third.
Fourth.
And fifth toe.
The whole left side of the body.
The top of the head.
Forehead.
Right eyebrow.
Left eyebrow.
The space between the eyebrows.
The right eyelid.
Left eyelid.
Right eye.
Left eye.
Right ear.
Left ear.
The nose.
The tip of the nose.
Upper lip.
Upper lip.
Muscles inside of the mouth.
And the tongue.
Cheeks.
And chin.
The muscles of the neck.
Right collarbone.
Left collarbone.
Right chest muscle.
Left chest muscle.
The center of the chest.
Abdomen.
Navel.
Grime.
Right thigh.
Left thigh.
Right knee.
Left knee.
Right ankle.
Left ankle.
Right foot.
Left foot.
Right toes.
Left toes.
Bottom of the right foot.
Bottom of the left foot.
Right heel.
Left heel.
Right calf muscle.
Left calf muscle.
Back of the right knee.
Back of the left knee.
Back of the right thigh.
Back of the left thigh.
Right buttock.
Left buttock.
The lower back.
Spine.
Right shoulder blade.
Left shoulder blade.
The back of the neck.
Back of the head.
And the crown of the head.
The whole right leg.
Whole left leg.
Both legs together.
Whole right arm.
Whole left arm.
Both arms together.
The abdomen.
And the chest.
The whole front side of the torso.
The back.
Spine.
And shoulder blades.
The whole back and front side of the torso.
The neck.
And the head.
The whole body.
The points of contact between your body and the bed.
The subtle points of contact where your body meets the bed.
The force of gravity.
Weighing you down.
And holding you snug against the earth.
Just watch yourself breathing now.
Your breath is like the rising and falling waves on the surface of the sea.
The deep waters of the ocean are tranquil and serene.
Sinking down now into the abyss of unconsciousness.
Watch the flow of the breath at the nostrils.
Feeling the sensation of air flowing in and out through the nostrils.
Now feel the sensation of air flowing in the throat.
The air flows up and down through the throat with each breath.
Feel the air filling the chest with the inhalation.
And contracting with the exhalation.
Feel the muscles of respiration expanding and contracting within the chest.
And now the belly.
Feel the air causing the belly to rise and fall.
Feeling the belly rises.
Feeling the belly falls.
Now begin counting the breaths at the belly backwards from 72 in the following manner.
Inhale belly rises 72.
Exhale belly falls 72.
Inhale belly rises 71.
Exhale belly falls 71.
Inhale belly rises 70.
Exhale belly falls 70.
And continue with the spontaneous and natural rhythms of the breath.
Remain aware of only the breath.
The movements of the belly.
And the counting.
If you should lose track or come to zero,
Again return to 72 and continue.
